The subject patent application generally relates to error codes for products and, more specifically, to product- or user-specific errors codes for products.
Error codes are often generated when hardware or software malfunctions in some manner. For example, when a software application running on a computer “crashes”, an error code providing an identifier indicative of the error may be provided on a display screen of the computer. Using the error code, a user can consult documentation for the software to determine the cause of the crash and suggested steps or procedures for recovery. In other instances, the user can contact (e.g., by calling) a customer service representative and provide the error code to the representative, who can use the error code to determine the cause of the crash and lead the user through suggested steps or procedures for recovery.
By way of illustration, various versions of Microsoft Windows operating systems generate so-called “blue screens of death” when there is a system error. For example, when there is a boot loader error in which the operating system cannot access the boot partition, an error code like the following is generated:
STOP 0x0000007B (INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE).
Product documentation for this error code may suggest that the user attempt to recover from this error by booting the computer system using the media (e.g., CD-ROM) on which the operating system was provided.
The instant patent application describes the use of product- or user-specific error codes which include information that identifies a particular product or user, in addition to information indicative of the error that caused a product (e.g., hardware or software) to malfunction, crash or otherwise become wholly or partly inoperable. Product- or user-specific error codes can enable better and more efficient customer assistance because an assistance provider (e.g., documentation, a customer-service representative, a voice-response unit, a web site, etc.) is able to provide assistance based, for example, on information that may be unique to the particular user or the user's product. The part of the error code that identifies a product or user may be used, for example, to automatically access a database that includes information regarding previous errors or problems associated with the user's product or with the user.
By way of illustration, a particular software product may encounter certain types of errors more frequently when running on some hardware platforms than on others. By having an error code which includes information that identifies the hardware platform, assistance can be more easily provided if the software product crashes. For example, a customer service representative can assist a user in recovering from an error using a “script” that is most likely to work for the user's particular product. This can reduce the amount of time a customer service representative must spend with a particular user.
In addition, while a customer service representative can ask a user to verbally provide product information, information such as a product code may not be readily available to the user and the search for such information can increase the frustration level of a user whose product is not operating properly. Moreover, the search for such information while on a call also increases the amount of time a customer service representative must spend with a particular user.